Nour Sallam, Agent at P.S. Literary

Nour Sallam is an associate literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency representing adult fiction and nonfiction. Nour has previously worked in editing, podcasting, communications, and journalism. She got her start at the University of British Columbia where she studied English Literature and Political Science. She then got her publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. As an Arab woman and an immigrant, she loves books of any genre that amplify joy and connection, or feature complex and nuanced histories, power dynamics, or underrepresented narratives.

Nour is seeking commercial and upmarket fiction titles as well as select literary fiction, edgy psychological thrillers, mysteries, and light horror. In fiction, she gravitates towards voicey characters that are haunted by something: a secret, a past, a fear— or an actual haunting! She’s actively seeking character-driven stories featuring women in power, unhinged women, and stories of female rage. She also has a soft spot for unreliable narrators, family sagas with dysfunctional families, protagonists in their 20s-30s navigating adulthood, protagonists on the cusp of major life changes, and stories that focus on friendship dynamics. She is also drawn to stories that explore the diverse experiences of underrepresented groups and challenge our understanding of diasporic experiences and/or cultures. Bonus points if these stories are also fun and celebrate joy.

For nonfiction, Nour welcomes fresh and accessible perspectives on big ideas or industry deep dives as well as personal narratives on pop culture, art, and nature. She appreciates books that offer incisive commentary on culture, socio-economic structures, corporate underbellies, health and wellness, and lifestyle. Her taste in non-fiction gravitates towards books that generally challenge what we know or explain what we might not know.

     

Member Reviews of Nour

Nour provided 15 minutes of pure gold. I was thoroughly impressed by the insights she gleaned from my query and first ten pages and by the astute and specific comments she made to me. She knows the market well, and my proposal is better because of her. Thank you, Nour!

Vanessa Errecarte
Vanessa Errecarte

Nour was exceptionally kind and bright. Her feedbacks on my query were so specific and valuable, with great example. The first 10 page, she explained exactly what she meant if she wanted something to improve, and why. I feel that I gained so much in such a short time. But more so, her generosity in trying to give me as much as she can as if she deeply cared. There was not enough time for me to thank her personally, so I hope she gets to read this. Thank you Nour. You are as your name says; Light.

Nadereh Fanaeian
Nadereh Fanaeian

Absolutely amazing! Nour is the third paid mentoring agent I’ve worked with, and her feedback was the most enlightening and noteworthy compared to the others. She provided me with valuable insight into how an agent or publisher might perceive my query and sample pages, offering specific guidance on how to improve them. I definitely recommend her.

Rebecca Pearson
Rebecca Pearson

Work with Nour

LIVE Meetings: Meet face-to-face, from home. Choose Zoom, Google Meet, or phone, and speak for the appointed time about your query, first page, and/or first ten pages (for longer meetings). Does not include written notes, but is a chance to have an honest discussion about your work, and to ask follow-up questions. International meetings welcomed.

HYBRID is a live meeting at the appointment time, with written notes.

WRITTEN Critiques: Get detailed, thoughtful notes on your work. Comes with large-scale edits (character, world, plot, tension, concept, conflict, and similar as needed) in an editorial letter and small-scale, line-by-line notes as needed (for longer critiques, an average of three per page). Work arrives in your inbox within 24 hours of thedate on the calendar.